"What did she mean that you told the reporter?" Jimmy asked me as he looked into my eyes. I could see the anger burning behind his chocolate brown eyes as they got darker with each passing second. I sat back and put my hands on my belly. I would have paced the room but I made the mistake of sitting down and I couldn't get back up by myself. Not without help anyways.
"Jimmy, I can explain." I started in a low voice. I put my heads in my hands as I thought of the words I should say. "I... I..." I shook my head again. "Why is this so hard to tell you?" I couldn't find the right words to say to make this better. "Just.. try." I heard Jimmy say, his voice still trembling with anger. "Because I need to understand why this is happening. I mean you of all people, I didn't expect you to go talking to reporters about me."
I slowly lifted my head and looked him dead in the eye. I could almost feel my mood shift in that split second, I could sense my own eyes darkening under my own anger. "You've got to be joking, right?" I said in a forced whisper. Jimmy raised his eyebrow and said. "Do I look like I'm joking?" I held my hand out to Drew who helped me out of the chair. "Are you FUCKING kidding me? You think I talked to reporters?! About YOU?!"
Drew stood between me and Jimmy as I walked towards him. "Jimmy, now I was with her before your surgery and it wasn't like that!" she said looking at him and holding me back. I backed up and turned towards the window. "No, Drew. Thank you for trying to make this better but I'm a grown woman and I can do this myself." I turned back around and put my hands in my pockets. "First of all, I shouldn't have to be explaining myself to you, but I will. I did NOT tell the reporters anything. I did not speak to a single reporter. In fact, I told all of them that if they didn't leave the hospital that I was going to stick my size 9 where the sun don't shine and I would personally make sure that every single one of them would be out of a job come tomorrow morning. Second of all, they overheard me trying to help save YOUR life. The EMT called you a John Doe, said you were in your thirties, and didn't know a single thing about you, or so I thought. I thought that the surgical staff should know who they are trying to save that way they can do the best of their ability to keep you alive. So, I told them who you were, in fact, I may have yelled at them, but that's neither here nor there. I told them who they were dealing with, I told them your age, your blood type, how much you weigh, what your allergies are, what medication you can and can't have, because I know these things. It's vital fucking information and I'm sorry but you had already died once and I wasn't about to let it happen again because Drew here was trying to keep your information disclosed. I didn't know that at the time and even if I had I probably would have done the same thing. I don't care if reporters heard me, Jimmy, what I did could have saved your life and given another chance I would do it again in a heartbeat. I was covered from head to toe in your blood, I had watched you die, and I had one ounce of hope left for Drew to save you and I took it. You don't know what that's like, now do you? To watch someone you love laying on a stretcher, dead? No, you don't but I would hope that if it had been the other way around, you would have done the same thing. So, you can be pissed off all you want to but I wasn't about to let the love of my life DIE because you're too worried about how this is going to look in the media. Screw the media, and quite frankly screw you if you don't understand where I'm coming from." I crossed my arms and stared at him, waiting for his inevitable response.
Immediately, I saw a change in Jimmy. He unclenched the bed sheets and looked down at his chest. "I..... I didn't know." He said softly, looking back at me after a moment or two. I uncrossed my arms and shrugged throwing my hands down at my side. "No. You didn't know. How could you know? You were just DYING and Me and Drew were more concerned about saving your life than we were about how any stupid media outlet was going to handle this news. But what you SHOULD have known is that I would NEVER do that to you. You should have known THAT much, James. I'm sorry that this got out, but I am NOT sorry that it saved your life."
Jimmy sighed and closed his eyes. He held out his hand. "I'm.. I'm sorry. Of course. You're right baby. If it had been the other way around I would have definitely made sure you were taken care of and in the right hands. I wouldn't have given two shits about whether the media heard me or not. You're absolutely right. I'm sorry, I'm the biggest asshole there is. You were just looking out for me and it is absolutely what I would have done for you. I'm just mad at the fact that it's out there now and now I'm going to have to deal with all this. It's just frustrating. I didn't want this getting out if it didn't have to is all." Jimmy said as I looked at his hand. He shook his hand and I stared into his eyes for a second. "Brecks... I love you. More than anything. I'm sorry." He said softly. I tried to be mad still but then he let out a half smile and my heart melted. "Idiot." I said softly, grabbing his hand. Jimmy pulled me down into a kiss. I let myself slip into the moment as he grabbed my face and lightly bit my bottom lip.
"Mhmmm." I let out a low moan when I felt Jimmy smile against my lips. "I love you, Breckyn." He gasped into my mouth. "I love you James." I began to bite his bottom lip when I heard a throat clear behind me.
"Ahem. Well, seeing how you guys have got that whole situation figured out, I think I will be seeing myself out of here. That is, unless you need any medical attention or anything, Fallon?" Drew said smiling as she walked towards the door. Jimmy pulled me towards him. "Nah. Connors. Unless you want to give me that medical clearance so I can have ten minutes alone with my girl here." I shot him a look. Drew laughed. "And ruin my artwork on your chest? I don't think so. You will wait until I tell you you can do that. I mean it. Brecks, don't you give in to him. You hear me? Be strong." I couldn't help but giggle at Drew when she pointed at me and got serious. She faded into a smile and opened the door. "Oh, and Fallon?"
Jimmy looked back at her. "Yeah, whats up?" he asked. Drew just pointed. "Ten minutes? I expected more from someone packing some heat like you got." Jimmy just laughed. "No, no. I would need like a half and hour or so for that. I meant it only takes ten minutes with these babies." He raised his hands and wiggled his finger. I smirked at Drew. "Not even that." Drew just stuck her finger down her throat and fake dry heaved. "Ok, I've heard enough. That's disgusting. But, no, no medical clearance for any of that whatsoever. I mean it. Behave." She said as she opened the door and began to walk out.
"We'll try." I laughed as she scoffed and closed the door.
I leaned down and kissed Jimmy on his lips. He started to softly groan into my mouth. I let my tongue search his mouth as I began to get lost in the moment. Jimmy put his hands in my hair and took out my hair tie, letting my hair fall around his face. He smiled into my kiss and I felt a small twinge in my back. I pulled back. "Mmm." I said as I put my finger to my lips. Jimmy grabbed my shirt and pulled me back down gently. "I know baby." He whispered into my lips as he kissed me again. Shit. There's that pain again. I let out a hiss of air and back up. "Stop." I said as I pulled away. Jimmy looked at me confused. "Baby, you can kiss me, it's not going to hurt me." He reached over and held my hand and pulled me over.
"Ahh. Jimmy stop." I said as he was still holding my hand. He looked up and me perplexed. "Are you okay, babe?" He asked me with a hint of worry on his face and hidden in his voice. Most people wouldn't have recognized that but I did. I knew him inside and out. I shook my head and put my hand on my back. "Yeah. I'm fine. My back just hurts. It must be from the chairs in the waiting room or something." I said as I rubbed my back. Jimmy smiled and motioned me over to him.
"Well here, baby, come here and I'll rub it out for you." He said as he motioned again for me to come over to him. I looked at him concerned. "Are you sure you can reach over with your arm like that? I don't want to hurt you or cause you any pain." Jimmy let out a half smile and grabbed my hand and guided me over to the hospital bed. He slowly scooted himself over on the bed and cleared an area on the left side of the bed. He patted the empty space. "If you sit right here, I should be able to. Let's try it." He said as he sat me down slowly. "Careful." He said. I nodded.
"Okay, I'll try." I said as I winced as I sat. There was that pain again. "Ouch. Damn that hurts." Jimmy picked up my shirt and began to massage my back in a circular motion. I let out hisses of air. "Did you sleep in the chair or something? You're really tense." He said. I shook my head. "No, I just think I was sitting in there for too.. OW!.... long, that's all." ..
"Sorry, you've got a couple knots here, Brecks, let me rub them out for you." He rubbed a little harder letting out a little grunt here and there. I looked over my shoulder. "Are you sure this isn't hurting you?" I asked, concerned. Jimmy chuckled very softly. "Ouch... still can't laugh. Gotta get used to that for a while I guess. Using my hands, though? No. I didn't get shot in my hand, babe. I'm barely moving." He used his finger tips to work in my knots. "Okay.. ahh.. its really tender there." I said as he worked in a circle on my lower back right above my tailbone and over to my right side towards my hip. "It's tender right here?" he asked. "Yeah" I sighed as he worked harder in there. "That actually feels a little better. It's weird, though. I was fine in the chair earlier and then I just got a sharp pain in my back of a sudden. It came out of nowhere."
Jimmy went a little softer with the pads of his fingers. "Hmmmm.. maybe you moved too fast. You are getting towards the end of the pregnancy, we've only got 8 weeks left. Ligaments are starting to stretch preparing for Thomas to come. It could be that." He reassured me. I nodded. "Yeah, I've been reading the books so I thought that too. Ive only had a couple sharp pains and a little cramping afterwards." I stood up and began to walk around to work out the kinks. "Thats better thanks, baby. I love you."
Jimmy leaned back in his bed and yawned. "I love you too." He put his hand over his mouth and finished yawning. "Wait... did you just say cramping?" he asked me as he looked up at me.
I nodded. "Yeah... like little cramps. Nothing too bad." I shrugged as I watched him watch me pace. Jimmy shook his head and scratched his neck. "They came after the sharp pain, you said?" I nodded again. "Yeah, they started not too long after the first initial pain I guess. But that would happen with ligament stretching." I stated. "Ouch. I guess you didn't stretch it out far enough, babe." I put my hand on my right side and rubbed it, easing the cramp that I was getting.
"Are the cramps coming and going?" Jimmy asked, I could hear the tension in his voice. He was starting to worry about me. I walked up to him. "Yeah, I guess. Like when I walk or move too quickly, I suppose." I grabbed his hand and rubbed the space between his thumb and index finger. That always helped him calm down. "I'm fine, babe. Really, its just a back spasm. I get them all the time."
.
He nodded. "I know. Just.. when is the last time you had one before that last one? Where you moving? I don't think you were. You were just sitting here while I rubbed your back right?" I thought about it. "Yeah, I guess so, about ten minutes ago, but you were rubbing it." I said turning to face him more directly. "Ow.. which you didn't do that great of a job of apparently." I said chuckling softly as I rubbed my hip and front. Jimmy watched me rub my hip and looked at me seriously. "Sit down." He said as he grabbed his call button and pushed it.
"Yes, Mr. Fallon?" I heard from the familiar voice over the speaker. It was Melanie, the nurse that Jimmy had confronted earlier. Jimmy cleared his throat. "Yes, could you have Dr. Connor come to my room as soon as possibly please?" He asked. I heard Melanie type something into the computer. "Yes sir, right away."
"Thank you, Melanie." Jimmy said as he set the call button down on the bed again. I walked over and rubbed Jimmy's cheek. "Jimmy, are you okay? What are you doing?" I checked his monitor, his body, he seemed fine. I bent over to check his tubes when my back twinged again. "Damn. My back is really spasming." I said as I slowly straightened back up.
"Sit DOWN Breckyn. Right now." Jimmy said tensely. I stared at him as I slowly sat back down. Now I was worried. I have never seen him like this. "Okay... you're scaring me, James. Are you okay?" Jimmy looked at me with a concerned look on his face and was just about to answer when I heard a knock on the door.
Drew peeked her head in and pointed at us. "Hey, kids, you need me back so soon? What's up? Wanting a sponge bath with the two of us or something? Breckyn will do that for free.. but you're gonna have to pay me, Jimmy if you want any action from me." She said laughing as she shut the door behind her. Jimmy looked up from my face and looked over to her, his worrisome face never changing expression. "Actually.. I need you to do me a favor. Come here." He said motioning her to come closer to him.
Drew walked over and Jimmy pulled her down and started whispering in her ear. He pointed over at me subtly with his finger but I noticed it immediately. What could they be talking about me for? I wondered. Drew brought her head up and just stared at Jimmy. "You sure?" she said quietly as Jimmy nodded his head. Drew looked at me and smiled but I could tell it was not her genuine smile. "That's no problem just let me get Dr. Williams and we can get a second opinion about that Jimmy." she reached for the call button and the nurse came over the speaker.
"Yes, how can I help you?"
"Melanie, can you page Dr. Williams for me and tell her we need a consult in room 1909 please? Have her come as soon as she can."
"Uh, of course, Dr. Connor. I will do that for you."
"Thank you" Drew said as she sat the call button back down on the bed and looked back at Jimmy. Jimmy let out a sigh. "Thank you." He said and put his hand on her shoulder.
"No problem. She should be in as soon as she can. Do you need anything else? Your meds doing okay?"
"I'm fine really. A little uncomfortable from time to time when the meds start to wear off but I really love this morphine drip. " Jimmy said as he pointed over to the drip that was hanging next to his bed. I watched Drew as she looked from the bag to me. She laughed half heartedly at Jimmy. "I bet you do love that thing. There's a good thing I put a restriction on it so you couldn't abuse it, huh?"
Just then there was a knock on the door and a woman around my age with dark blonde curly hair came walking in. She was wearing pink scrubs and a lab coat. "Dr. Williams" was stitched on the left breast of the coat in black embroidery. "Hey Drew, you wanted a consult?" she said as she closed the door. Drew walked up to her. "Yes, Sara, thank you for coming as soon as you can I just need you to check something for me. Can you step into the hall for a second though?" Sara looked at Drew and shrugged. "Sure." She said as they walked out the door. Drew looked back in at me right before the door closed, leaving me and Jimmy in the room alone.
"What's all that about? Are you okay? Are you in pain?" I asked worried. Jimmy looked me in the eyes with a concerned look himself and nodded. "I'm fine, I'm in a little pain but I'm just interested in getting a second opinion about something I'm worried about. That's all." The corners of Jimmy's mouth turned up into his famous half smile. To everyone else, that million watt smile would have seemed genuine but to me, just from the lack of sparkle in his eyes, I could tell something was wrong.
Soon the door opens and Drew and Dr. Williams come walking in and Dr. WIlliams stands next to Jimmys bed. "Alright, now lets see if we can figure something out here" Dr. Williams says as she grabs a pen out of her lab coat. Jimmy looks at her and nods nervously. Suddenly she turns towards me.
"When did the pain start?" she says as she looks down at me.
"What do you mean? Obviously his pain started when he got shot." I looked from the doctor over to Drew with a confused look. "Are we serious here? Why are you asking me? I'm not the patient, here."
Just then at the same time I heard both Jimmy and Drew say "Just answer the question Brecks" in the same tense tone. Okay, now that is freaky. Something weird is happening and I was going to find out what it was.
"Okay, what is all this about? Its just a muscle spasm. I told you that. I'm fine. Its actually stopped for about ten or so minutes now. I'm fine."
Dr. Williams nodded and grabbed a clip board. "How far along are you? 28- 30 weeks?" she asked as she wrote things down on a chart.
I sighed. I can't believe we are wasting our time with this. I am going to get on to Jimmy about this later. You better believe that. "32 weeks."
Dr. Williams continued to write on the chart. "Have you been getting muscle spasms often or is this a new development as of lately?"
" Really? We're doing this, right now? Jesus, Jimmy. I told you I'm fine." I threw my hands up into the air and back down to my hips. Jimmy grabbed my hand and gave me the look he always gives me when he thinks I am being too stubborn. "Breckyn, honey, just answer her questions. Please." He pleaded with me.
.
I groaned, annoyed. "Every so often, I've been feeling some stretching and stuff. Nothing major." I said curtly.
Dr. Williams continued looking me over. "Uh huh. Yeah, that's normal with the pelvic bone spreading to prepare for birth. That's all normal. Now, when did you notice the cramping you've been experiencing?"
"Seriously with this?" I sighed again." God, alright... I was sitting in the chair waiting for Jimmy to wake up when I turned to talk to his sister and I felt a sharp pain as I turned my back and then.. i dont know.. 20 minutes later.. my back started spasming.. I guess. It's really nothing. It's just a back spasm. I used to get them all the time."
Dr. Williams set down the clipboard and moved directly in front of me."Okay, well do you mind if I feel you and give a quick once over?"
I put my hands up in the air. "No, by all means, if it gets this done with faster so we can get back to focusing on Jimmy then go right ahead."
Dr Williams unbuttoned my shirt and felt around as she moved her hands under Jimmy's plaid shirt. "Does it hurt to touch anywhere?" I shook my head. "No. It isnt tender to touch. Its more of a muscle pain." I said as I bent over and straightened back up. "Its better now though."
"Uh huh, does it hurt around here when the cramping happens?" she put her hand on my lower back. "Yes, it does."
"Does it ever wrap around to the front." I nodded. "Sometimes it does, yeah. But my muscle spasms have always done that to me." Dr. Williams put my shirt down and turned me. "Ahh" I said as I turned. Dr. Williams put her hands back under the shirt and felt around the front. "Are you experiencing cramping right now, Breckyn?" I looked her in the eyes. "Yes. Because you moved me too fast."
She nodded. "Uh.. huh." She put my shirt down and turned around saying something to Drew but it was too soft for me to hear. Drew nodded and walked out the door. I buttoned my shirt. "Are we through now?" I asked as I finished buttoning the top up over my belly.
Dr. Williams was writing something on a piece of paper and handed it to Jimmy. "Yes, I am through." I heard her say as I turned to face Jimmy. "Good I would like to take care of the patient now." I said as I bent over to kiss Jimmy. Jimmy read the piece of paper and folded it in his hands as he looked up at me and then at the door as it opened. He barely kissed my lips when I felt myself being sat down. "I would like to as, well, Breckyn."
I looked down, I was in a wheelchair. "What is happening?" I asked as she wheeled the chair back. "You're not experiencing back spasms, Breckyn. Those are contractions."
I looked up as she opened the door and wheeled me out without any further explanation and watched Jimmy's eyes fill with tears as he started to say something, just as the doors shut, separating us.